Strewthcobber
Nick Farr-Jones (63)
I don't think you can just dismiss the fans concerns because a business isn't going to lose much revenue over it.
For the record, NZRU can do whatever they want with scheduling their tests
Broadcast options for Australian Rugby
- Thread starter WorkingClassRugger
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For the record, NZRU can do whatever they want with scheduling their tests
Adam84
Tim Horan (67)
That's me you're quoting... and I'm not calling them fluffybunnys because of that decision, I'm saying they're fluffybunnys and that's the reason why they wouldn't change their decision because of factors like AFL GF.
I'm not afraid to stand by the opinion of NZRU either, i've held it for the past 6 years given the shit that happened around COVID; NZRU conducting independent reports on how many teams Australia should have, NZRU unilaterally announcing Super Rugby Aotearoa and inviting limited Australian involvement, NZRU's influence and direction over the future of Super Rugby/Pacific, tearing up exsisting SANZAAR revenue sharing agreements, how they've treated the integrity of The Rugby Championship and by extension Austarlian and Argentina in relation to the 'South African Tours' and finally NZRU's attitude towards ventures like the Perth ANZAC Day Test.. I could go on, but won't.
At the very least, Brett Impey and Mark Robinson have both gone and his replacement David Kirk has acknowledged how NZRU acted in the past was poor (& i quote) “It certainly went cold when (former NZR chairman) Brent Impey was stomping around in his hobnail boots trying to dictate to Australia. It didn’t work. It didn’t go down well. So we’re past that well and truly"
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I think NZRU are also making plenty of decisions that aren't in their own long term interests.
I think they have failed to adjust to the changing landscape of international rugby and have relied too much on their own exceptionalism thinking that the lure of the All Black jersey will mean they have the best players available to them regardless.
Adam84
Tim Horan (67)
100% agree.
In NZ, NRL rights sold to Sky used to be a fraction of what Sky paid for rugby; now that gap has closed considerably, and in the last negotiations, Sky paid substantially more for NRL Broadcast Rights whilst also cutting the value of what they paid NZRU for Rugby Union broadcast rights.
Whilst the two markets (and the broader Pacific) are separate teams at the test level, commercially they overlap and competition from the likes of the NRL isn't just a sport in another market. It's a competitor knocking on the door in NZ, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa right now.
Tomikin
Michael Lynagh (62)
They are a bunch of fluffybunnys, but I call RA a bunch of fluffybunnys too. Actually, I call most people that.
specially @Dismal Pillock ... who I believe is in mourning as his favourite player (Nic White) isn't coming to NZ for a visit.
Major Tom
Dick Tooth (41)
They surely would have known. But they also knew they didn’t have the right at point in time, so weren’t really in a position to argue. AFL GF is always on the last Saturday of September. So it’s either ignorant or inconsiderate.
Ignoto
Geoff Shaw (53)
Is a 5pm / twilight game really that family friendly of a time? A 2pm NZ time kick off would give you 2.5 hours before the afl kicks off. Punters and pubs would love it as you could get people in Australia's East coast for lunch to watch the bledisloe and stick around for the AFL. Something like 5 - 6 hours of people glued to the tv.
Dan54
David Wilson (68)
Goes without saying Dc, what park are you at? Oh and city, and can you be quick I got to fly over to watch ya!!
HogansHeros
Vay Wilson (31)
The Rebels kicking off again?
Dctarget
David Wilson (68)
Playing in Darwin! Hence the start of the season being end of September, they play in the Wet Season (bizarrely). I don't need to preach to you all but I have no idea why I stopped playing, it's so good to be back.
Adam84
Tim Horan (67)
All Blacks played Wallabies in Dunedin with a 2:30pm kick off back in 2023.
In either case could have easily played this match at 7 pm NZST, so that the Bledisloe follows the AFL Grand Final, which finishes around 5pm AEST.
7pm is hardly an unusual time slot for the All Blacks to play. Of the 12 All Black test matches played in New Zealand in the past 3 years, 11 of those have been in the 7 pm NZST timeslot.
It doesn't really impact me, but I have to question the thought process and logic to shift the Bledisloe into a timeslot where it clashes with what's routinely the highest rating FTA event of the year in Australia. In the past decade NZRU haven't hosted a Bledisloe at 5 pm NZST in the dozen they’ve hosted, so I do have to query the logic of starting it now when it clashes with AFL GF. Regardless of allegiances with sport, this is pretty amateur stuff that the NRL would never do.
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dru
Jason Little (69)
AFL fans are upset on the timing of the Bled'? LOL!
In the mean time, anyone who thinks that Rugby NZ gives a toss about Aussie fans or Aussie rugby is clearly under misapprehension. It's not new. This is not even a good example of it. Real Politic and all.
[Just watch the replay - choose your preferred football to watch live and if it's aerial pingpong I have no idea what you doing here.]
In the mean time, anyone who thinks that Rugby NZ gives a toss about Aussie fans or Aussie rugby is clearly under misapprehension. It's not new. This is not even a good example of it. Real Politic and all.
[Just watch the replay - choose your preferred football to watch live and if it's aerial pingpong I have no idea what you doing here.]
Sword of Justice
Bob Davidson (42)
It’s very possible my heart will be crushed twice in the span of an hour but I’ll be watching the Bled with sound and the AFL on second screen because whilst I love watching my Lions play at the pinnacle of that sport I love the sport of Rugby more. A lot more.
Dan54
David Wilson (68)
Funny that Dc, one of my good mates in Aus played in Darwin way back when, he was the one to tell me about your strange season. Unfortunately he passed away just a few months back.
Bloody enjoy getting back into it mate, and damn regardless of my best attempt, I couldn't quite make it there for the game.
Dan54
David Wilson (68)
I agree Adam, I was surprised that RA didn't push for a 7pm kick off. But as I pointed out they all agree to these times.
2.30 wasn't a chance as we got NPC playing then, and that's actually same sport.
The only thing that is a positive they are playing games to suit the people attending I think.
Come to think of it whay didn't both unions just have the tests on opposite weekends, I just think RA must have forgotten all about AFL being on.
Major Tom
Dick Tooth (41)
Yeah I’m scared too
Hmmm. If one or both Perth AFL clubs were in the grand final Rugby Australia might not like it. Even without them RA might struggle to sell corporate boxes for that night (AFL is as big a deal in Perth as in Melbourne).
Adam84
Tim Horan (67)
this isn’t about AFL fans getting upset though Dru, this is about denying one of RA/NZRUs rugbys premier events a larger commercial market through poor planning. Last years AFL GF drew 400k FTA viewers from QLD alone, a traditional rugby state; these 400k aren’t just core ‘AFL fans’, these are casual sports fans watching and it’s also AFL events in pubs/bars, which rugby struggles to break into regardless but the Bledisloe will now be downgraded further during this time slot.
Realistically this first Bledisloe should have been a great opportunity to capitalise on what has been 12 months of positive news and coverage of rugby & wallabies, and it could have been done in a completely clear timeslot had NZRU played it at the same time-slot they’ve hosted almost every other test in the past 3 years..7pm NZST
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